Vanilla Extract

Pure Vanilla Extract is really expensive to buy.  For the amount of baking that I do it would cost me a fortune every year so I make my own.  It is so simple I can't believe that everyone doesn't do it!

All it takes is a bottle of vodka and 10 vanilla beans.

I split the vanilla beans down the centre so that the vodka can penetrate the fragrant seeds that are in the inside quicker.  Somebody told me that this will speed up the process but I don't know if it actually does.  (If you split the beans you will have little black floaties in the finished vanilla but that doesn't bother me.  I think that this shows that you used real vanilla.)

Pour an ounce out of the vodka bottle, add some orange juice and drink it.  You need to make room for the vanilla beans and you don't want to waste it.

Put the split vanilla beans into the vodka bottle. 

And you are done!

Put it on a shelf in a dark cupboard and shake it once a week or so.  In six week it will be ready to use.  The longer you let it sit the stronger it will be.  I always have one that I am using and one that is steeping in the cupboard.

The finished product!  I started this one about 6 months ago.

Questions & Answers (because I know you have them).

Q.  What size bottle of vodka did you use?

A,  This is a 750ml bottle.

Q.  Can you use a different sized bottle of vodka?

A.  Yes, I use this one because the bigger one doesn't fit on my pantry shelf.  The bigger the bottle you use the more beans you should use.

Q.  Does it have to be vodka?

A.  No.  My dad uses rum and it turns out great.

Q.  Where do you get the vanilla beans?

A.  I order them from Top Vanilla.com.  They have some good quality beans for a good price.

Fall Cooking

Summer is definately over now and it is time to move on from salads and fresh veggies onto soups, stews and baked goods.

Today was an extremely productive day in the kitchen!  I did tomato butter, granola, potato soup, ribs, breaded chicken breasts and apple crisp. 

The tomato butter will be frozen in small portions to be used with pork roasts or pork chops through out the winter. 

Granola is for breakfast, served with yogurt and a touch of honey. 

Potato soup is for lunches this week. 

Ribs are for supper and maybe one lunch this week.  (Not enough for lunches, Nick found the ones that were left over while I was typing and ate them as an after dinner snack.)

The chicken breast will be made into Chicken Parmesean Monday night for supper.  All I will have to do is warm them in the oven and add my home made pasta sauce and some cheese.

My kitchen smells awesome.

Here are a few of the recipes that I used today.

Tomato Butter
5 lbs of roma tomatos, skinned and chopped
3 cups of sugar
1 cup of vinegar
1 red onion finely chopped
a shake of ground cloves
a few shakes of ground cinnamon

Wash and de-stem the tomatoes.  Score an X in the skin at the bottom of the tomato.  Put on a large pot of water so that you can blanch the tomatoes.

While you are waiting for the water too boil put the vinegar, sugar, oil and spices in a large pot.  Stir to combine.

In batches put the tomatoes in the boiling water and leave them there for about a minute.  You will be able to see when the skin loosens on them and that is when you have to get them out of the water.

Take the skins off the tomatoes and roughly chop them. Add them into the pot with the other ingredients.  Put it on the stove and let it summer until it reduces by at least half.  It took about an hour and a half to two hours for that to happen today.

It was hard to get a good picture but you are looking for a thick pudding like texture.

I then put it in jars, labeled it and let it cool.  When it was cool I froze them.  (I could have canned them and made it shelf stable but really didn't feel like it.)



Sunflower Cupcakes

We had our year end garden potluck last week.  Which had me thinking - What should I contribute?  Then I decided on cupcakes decorated like sunflowers!

Rob made a batch of our favourite chocolate cupcakes. 

I made a vanilla icing that I tinted yellow with a couple shakes of tumeric.  You don't need a lot of tumeric a little bit will do it.  The tinted icing will initially be a pale yellow colour but as it sits it will deepen.  If you plan ahead you can let it sit over night for a beautiful yellow colour.  I never plan that far ahead though.

I also made a chocolate icing.  I put it in a piping bag and used a star tip.  I put one chocolate dolop in the centre of each cupcake.  I then put the yellow in another piping bag and using the same tip, I did the circle around the chocolate one.

Easy peasy and they tasted pretty good.

This Moment

From Soulemama {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

 

 

Pesto Chicken Sandwiches with a Twist

I am always looking for things to make lunches easier and now that I am back to taking a lunch to work with me I need easy things even more. 

When Rob and I were on Mackinac Island this summer (albeit briefly) I had a Pasty.  A Pasty is a pie crust filled with ground beef, rutabaga and potatoes.  The pie crust is folded over on itself and crimped and baked to make a  self contained sandwich.  The one I had was served hot smothered in gracvy but in the olden days men would take one (or two) on their lunch and eat them cold.  So that got me thinking, what else could I use for a filling?  This is what I came up with.

I used one batch of bread done in the breadmaker on the dough cycle.  I use this recipe for bread, buns, cheese sticks... you name it.

1 c water
2 t butter
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
3 c flour
1 1/2 t yeast
1 t salt
Place in machine in the order your machine asks for and cook on the regular cycle.  The bread has enough body to slice for sandwiches.

I then BBQ'd a couple chicken breasts and then chopped them into small pieces.  I mixed the chicken with 1/2 cup of homemade pesto.

I took 1/6th of the bread dough and made it into a thin circle/oval.  Place a scoop of chicken mixture on half the circle and top that with shredded cheese.  Fold the bread dough over to cover the chicken and crimp the edges so that nothing leaks out.  Place on a baking stone (or sheet) and do it again 5 more times. 

When they were all done I brushed them with melted butter and sprinkled them with Italian Seasoning and Parmesean cheese.  Place in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour.

They smell heavenly.  We had to try one just to make sure they were okay.  The were great.

They turned out kind of big.  Next time I might divide the dough into 8 instead of six.  For now I have just cut each into half, wrapped them in tin foil and put them in the freezer.  When we need something quick for lunch they are all ready to go.

Mmmm...Butter Tarts

What is the best Canadian invented recipe ever?  Butter tarts of course! 

Growing up whenever I went to visit my best friend Sheila's Grandmother she always had a butter tart for me.  (Even as teenagers when Sheila was diabetic and couldn't have the pure sugar treat Flo always made sure that I got a butter tart.) They were the best ever!  I don't have Flo's recipe but I think this one is pretty close. 

You can use any pie crust recipe that you like, I use the one from Food That Really Schmecks (awesome recipe book!) but I make it in the food processor.  In all honesty, I hate making pastry.  It is a pain in the butt, things never seem to go quite right for me.  I have gained a new found respect for people like Flo who used to bang off dozens of tarts at a time. 

The Butter Tart filling recipe is from my Aunt Geraldine.

1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
3 tbsp butter (room temp.)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup raisins (soaked in hot water and drained)
2 eggs
pastry tart shells (approx 24)

Separate eggs and set the whites aside. To the yolks add all the other ingredients and mix well. Beat the egg whites until stiff, add to the yolk mixture carefully and fill the tart shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or until pastry is brown and centres are bubbly. Cool and remove from pan.  Try and eat just one!

Note: Instead of corn syrup we use Lyle's Golden Syrup or Simple syrup. My mom has used honey but they are extremely sweet and don't recommend it.

This Moment

From Soulemama {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

 (I do have to say this picture was taken by Jake at his photography course at the East Street Station.)